Our people are at the heart of Ngā Pae o te Māramatanga. Across Aotearoa and beyond, our whānau of researchers, students, partners, and professional staff are united by a shared commitment to advancing Māori knowledge, innovation, and excellence. Explore the profiles below to learn more about the diverse individuals who contribute to our research community and help shape a flourishing future for Māori.
NPM Whānau | Our People
Tautoko · Support & governance 5
Dr Susanna Ragnhild Andersdatter Siri
UiT The Arctic University of Norway
Susanna Ragnhild Andersdatter Siri, or Fimben-áilluántte ja Gáren-niillasmáhteristena Susánna, is a Northern Sámi…
Dr Susanna Ragnhild Andersdatter Siri
Susanna Ragnhild Andersdatter Siri, or Fimben-áilluántte ja Gáren-niillasmáhteristena Susánna, is a Northern Sámi researcher at the Centre for Sámi Health Research (CSHR) at UiT The Arctic University of Norway. She holds a PhD in epidemiology and studies cardiovascular health among Norwegian Sámi populations.
Her research explores the intersections of health sciences, Sámi research ethics, and data governance, with particular attention to Sámi self-determination and culturally sensitive research practices. She co-founded the GIDA-Sápmi network, which promotes Sámi research data sovereignty and forms a part of the international GIDA network.
Siri co-led clinical data collection for the SAMINOR 3 Study with a focus on biobanking collection methods for population-based research. She serves on councils and committees advancing Sámi interests in research and data governance.
Dr Coen Hird
University of Queensland
Coen is a trawlwoolway pakana related to northeast lutruwita (Briggs, Johnson, Hearps family) and is accountable to the…
Dr Coen Hird
Coen is a trawlwoolway pakana related to northeast lutruwita (Briggs, Johnson, Hearps family) and is accountable to the Tasmanian Aboriginal community. Coen grew up as a visitor to many lands in so-called Australia and currently is living on Yuggera land at Tulmur.
Coen is an ARC DAATSIA Fellow in the School of the Environment at The University of Queensland. His research and teaching spans environmental sciences, animal ecology, Indigenous studies, and science and technology studies. Coen's work currently spans several connected areas: native stingless bee science; herpetofauna and ecological physiology; Indigenous Data Sovereignty; and ethics and epistemology in environmental research. His current projects are focused on how culturally significant organisms are studied, monitored and cared for.
Professor Elisa Loncon Antileo
University of Santigo
Born in Lefweluan, a Mapuche community in Wallmapu, Chile, Elisa is a native speaker of Mapuzugun, the Mapuche…
Professor Elisa Loncon Antileo
Born in Lefweluan, a Mapuche community in Wallmapu, Chile, Elisa is a native speaker of Mapuzugun, the Mapuche Indigenous language. She is a professor in the Department of Education at the University of Santiago in Chile. She holds a PhD in Humanities from Leiden University (the Netherlands), a PhD in Literature from the Pontifical Catholic University of Chile, and a Master's degree in Linguistics from the Metropolitan Autonomous University of Mexico. In 2021, Elisa served as President of the Chilean Constitutional Convention. She received the René Cassin International Human Rights Prize (2021) for her commitment to human rights and the Coppieters Award (Belgium, 2024) for her contributions to democracy and cultural diversity. Her research focuses on interculturality, Indigenous languages, and Indigenous ontologies. She is the author and co-author of several books, including Azmapu: A Mapuche Philosophy of Care (2026), Violeta Parra en el Wallmapu (2017). Her academic publications are available through her ORCID profile: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-3239-1723.
Professor Awi Mona
Seediq Nation, Indigenous Taiwanese
National Dong Hwa University, Taiwan
Awi Mona is a member of the Seediq Indigenous Nation of Taiwan and serves as Professor of Law and Dean of the College…
Professor Awi Mona
Awi Mona is a member of the Seediq Indigenous Nation of Taiwan and serves as Professor of Law and Dean of the College of Humanities and Social Sciences at National Dong Hwa University, Taiwan’s leading university for Indigenous studies.
One of the first Indigenous scholars in Taiwan to earn a Ph.D. in Law, his research focuses on Indigenous legal orders, Indigenous self-determination, legal pluralism, and the revitalization of Indigenous governance.
Through comparative and community-engaged research across Taiwan, Aotearoa New Zealand, Canada, Japan, and the Pacific, he works collaboratively with Indigenous communities, scholars, and public institutions to strengthen Indigenous legal education, advance legal reform, and promote international partnerships that support Indigenous rights and nation-building.
Professor Waikaremoana Waitoki
Ngāti Hako, Ngāti Māhanga
University of Waikato
Waikaremoana is a Professor and Associate Dean Research in the Faculty of Māori and Indigenous Studies at the…
Professor Waikaremoana Waitoki
Waikaremoana is a Professor and Associate Dean Research in the Faculty of Māori and Indigenous Studies at the University of Waikato, New Zealand. She is a clinical psychologist with experience in adolescent and maternal mental health. She is a past president of the New Zealand Psychological Society, and inaugural co-chair of the Māori psychologist’s network, He Paiaka Totara.
She is the co-editor of the first Indigenous psychology book, Te Manu Kai i te Mātauranga which is used nationally and internationally in teaching about monoculturalism and racism in psychology. She is also the co-editor in chief of the First Nations Health and Wellbeing - The Lowitja Journal which is committed to Indigenous and First Nation health research.
She was the science lead for the MBIE anti-racism project: WERO - Working to End Racism and Oppression project which sought to address racism in Aotearoa New Zealand. She is committed to research and practice that transforms Indigenous peoples in settler-colonial societies. Her teaching portfolio includes Mana Wahine, Te Tiriti o Waitangi, Mātauranga Māori, and Hauora Māori